Tyson Griffin vs. Thiago Tavares
Thiago Tavares came into the fight undefeated. The Fight The first round began and they touched gloves. They circled around, with Griffin the more aggressive fighter so far, throwing missing strikes and such. Tavares landed a counter body kick during one of these attempts. Griffin kept throwing missing strikes. Griffin landed a very good leg kick that stumbled Tavares visibly and effectively ended the dancing. Griffin landed a good right hand. Griffin shot for the takedown and got it into full guard. Griffin passed to half-guard, spun out of a leglock attempt and they stood. Griffin landed a good right and a left hook and clinched, looking for the takedown. Tavares nearly got the takedown himself, a throw. But they scrambled on their knees and stood. Thiago landed a knee to the body. Thiago got the sweep and they scrambled. Griffin ended up on top in half-guard, grabbed a guillotine from the top. Thiago escaped and Griffin postured up, struggling to avoid upkicks that narrowly missed. Thiagow as warned for holding the cage. Griffin landed some ground-and-pound and Thiago grabbed a leg and looked for another leglock. Thiago took Griffin's back. Griffin shook him off and postured up, went down with a big right hand into half-guard. Thiago utilized the butterfly guard. Griffin landed some good body shots. Thiago recovered full guard. Griffin postured up to avoid an omoplata and they stood. Griffin landed a big right, dropped for a takedown, Thiago defended into a clinch. Griffin landed a knee to the thigh, and then some more and some more. The first round ended. The second round began. They circled with Griffin the more aggressive. Thiago rocked Griffin with a flying knee as Griffin shot in and Thiago got the takedown into full guard. Griffin was rocked. Thiago landed some punishing hammerfists and shots. Griffin struggled to stand and ate another shot. Thiago pushed Griffin right back down however and passed to half-guard. Thiago passed to mount. Griffin bucked and Thiago took Griffin's back and began looking for the rear-naked choke. Griffin stood but Thiagow as hanging on and still looking for that choke. Thiago had that body triangle locked in and he wasn't going off. This was amazing. Griffin shook Thiago off and turned in to full guard, landing some big shots. Thiago was looking for an armbar and Griffin was struggling to escape the deep armbar. Griffin escaped and the crowd roared. Thiago briefly looked for an omoplata but Griffin escaped easily there. Griffin postured up and landed some big hammerfists, these were big, big shots now. Thiago briefly looked for another armbar and made it on top into half-guard. Griffin was looking for a guillotine. Thiago passed to side control and popped out. Thiago took Griffin's back once more. Griffin was breathing very heavily now. Griffin stood once more but Thiago was holding on. Griffin dumped Thiago onto his head and Thiago was bleeding. Griffin muscled his way on top into full guard. Thiago's right eyebrow was bloodied up, and there was a big mouse under his left eye. The second round ended. The third round began. They circled about. Thiago came for the takedown and Griffin sprawled and pushed forward but Thiago defended into the clinch and landed a good knee to the body. Griffin landed a knee to the thigh. Griffin landed some shoulder strikes and Thiago used the momentum to get the takedown and tried for the mount, they scrambled, Thiago grabbed an omoplata and he had it, man. Griffin landed some hammerfists to Thiago's... ass, and then spun out with a spinning back fist on the GROUND and the crowd ROARED and they stood into the clinch. Griffin landed some knees to the leg of Thiago. Thiago got the sweep again but Griffin stood right back up into the clinch. Griffin landed some more knees to the leg. Griffin landed some dirty boxing inside. Griffin broke with a good elbow and Thiago tried for a single but they backed off. Thiago came for the single-leg again and got it. Griffin landed some shots backwards. They stood into the clinch. They exchanged knees to the body. Griffin overcompensated on a knee and slipped down, and Thiago went with him, struggling to take Griffin's back in the scramble. He instead went for an arm but Griffin ended up on top in half-guard as the crowd applauded. Griffin landed more hammerfists, but Thiago had a leglock. Griffin escaped. Thiago got the throw and he was on top. The third round ended and both fighters were celebrating. Tyson Griffin was the winner by unanimous decision with Thiago taking his first defeat. Both fighters embraced, but Thiago looked very disappointed. He obviously thought he had won the fight. Either way, the fight won Fight of the Night, and a well-deserved pay bonus for both men.